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Yup. M1 of dead prez has teamed up with Brian Jackson of The Midnight Band and a slew of highly heralded musicians from funk’s illustrious past to present Evolutionary Minded, a continuation of the legacy and work of Brian and his longtime collaborator Gil Scott Heron. It is hardly contended that a hip-hop dialectic without the mention of jazz, funk and (according to Chuck D) hip-hop pioneers Gil Scott Heron and Brian Jackson, is wholly devoid of the fire, and dare I say the manhood, upon which the foundation of that proud tradition has been built. In an effort to recapture those sentiments, M1 has engaged Jackson in what can only be described as the battle royale of collaborations.

An album poised to include some of the most influential musicians of funkin’ past and some of the more politically and socially mindful artists of our time, has the makings of a true prize, both culturally and musically. Featuring collaborations with Roots extended fam Martin Luther,Gregory Porter, dead prez, Chuck D of Public Enemy, Mike Clark (Headhunters), Killah Priest(Wu-Tang Clan), Blackbyrd McKnight(P-Funk) and even poetic contributions from Bobby Sealeof the Black Panthers and AbiodunOyewole of The Last Poets. With such an incredibly strong roster of fellow musicians, artists and orators (and the guiding hand of producer Kentyah Fraser) this project is slated to accomplish precisely what it set out to do: get people thinking again. M1 claims that “our greatest enemy is our own political ignorance” and the album and debut single are so entrenched with the history of revolution and political ills, that the listener will be compelled to go and do the research on those monumental events that proved to be so formative in the state. So go pick up a copy of the debut album from M1, Brian Jackson and The New Midnight Band, watch the the video accompaniment for their first single “Opponent “featuring Martin Luther, and peep the project preview below to learn why it’s better to be an evolutionary as opposed to a revolutionary.